


Genie in a Bottle

by ElizabethTarington



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Awkward Flirting, Bad Flirting, Bookstores, Bullying, Dating, Distrust, Djinni & Genies, F/F, Fae & Fairies, Flirting, Fluff, Human, Human/Monster Romance, Kissing, Light Angst, Monsters, Smoochies, dating girls, ghost bullying, human prejudice, rude ghosts haunting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-13 00:48:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16882467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElizabethTarington/pseuds/ElizabethTarington
Summary: Pairing: Female Human and Female GenieWarning: SFW (Fluff)Word Count: 1673Note: Time for some fluff and cuteness, fam. Part 2 of Heaven Sent will come out sometime in the next month, but for now, enjoy some Female x Female Monster lovins.A big thanks to @aelia-likes-monsters for giving this a gander for edits!Original post: https://elizabethtarington.tumblr.com/post/176088779088/genie-in-a-bottle-part-1





	1. Part 1

Forever a city girl, Claire had once thought. Born and raised to the sound of sirens and traffic, she thought she’d never leave. Its fast pace and commotion a comforting white noise. But when the comic book studio had shut down, her previous lifestyle disappeared along with the paycheck.

Opportunity had led her to a small town on the coast and into a little cottage close enough to a cliffside that she could hear the ocean every night. The absence of car horns and drunken midnight yelling actually kept her up at night, but soon the sound of crashing waves found its place in her sleep cycle.

Claire managed to find a part-time job at the town’s only bookstore while managing to continue creating art online, steadily gaining enough income to pull her finances from the brink. It was an adjustment, but for the better. And while life appeared idyllic there was one thing she couldn’t get used to, how the town itself felt.

Around every corner was kindness and a wave from everyone she passed on the street, but Claire found them to be strange. When they would talk, smile, and chat, it was nice, it was normal, but as soon as they’d walk away she’d hear mutterings under their breath. Claire had made the mistake of asking her boss about it one day, thinking perhaps it was just a ‘treat the outsider different’ thing.

“Bill, can I ask you a question?”

“If it’s about getting a cup of tea from next door, we’re slow enough that you can go get one if you want. Just pick me up a scone will you?”

“No—it’s not—I mean, I will, but—” Claire started but paused, “Can I ask you about the people in this town?”

“What about them?” Bill turned, his rounded spectacles dropping down his nose as he continued to restock a shelf.

“Am I bothering anyone? Everyone seems—wary of me.”

“Wary of you? I haven’t heard anyone think ill or mistrustful of you. In fact, I’ve only received compliments since you started working here. Lovely and sweet girl are the most common things people say about you. Or cute.”

“Then why does everyone seem like they’re hiding something from me.”

“Probably because you’re the first human to come into this town.”

Claire swallowed hard, willing herself to have misheard him, “Come again?”

“You’re the first human to come into this town.” Bill turned, repeating his words in a slow fashion, before returning to rearranging books.

The obvious shenanigans took a moment to register as Claire stood silently before rolling her eyes, “You know you could just tell me the truth, I can take it.”

“I just did. I see no reason to hide it from you. I imagine you would have found out soon anyway, after all, you’re not an idiot. Unless I have clearly misjudged you.” Bill turned his attention back to Claire who continued to stand in silence, her frown only getting larger as he raised an eyebrow in amusement. “We’ve gone through great lengths to hide from the human world, even so far as erecting a barrier to protect us—yet, somehow you managed to find our little town. We assumed that perhaps you had magical abilities like myself, or perhaps you were part fae.”

“Who is we?”

“The townspeople of course. We even had a meeting about whether or not to let you stay. The only reason we didn’t kick you out was that you managed to get through the barrier in the first place.”

“Meaning I must belong here.”

Bill grinned, “See, you’re not an idiot.”

Claire watched as Bill wandered away, clearly unphased by the conversation and leaving Claire alone with her thoughts as she stood dumbfounded, tapping her finger in contemplation at the cash register. Her thoughts were interrupted as a young woman came into the store. Bill had made a comment that this particular woman had become a regular since Claire started working, impishly raising his eyebrows up and down in a teasing fashion.

Since he mentioned it, Claire always watched the woman, although she had taken note of the woman when she first met her. It was hard not to, she had electric blue hair that cascaded down past her shoulders in gentle waves and her eyes were the most intense blue that Claire had ever seen. She was also tall, much taller than Claire. If the woman wore heels she would tower over tiny Claire. Regardless, the woman was stunning and Claire couldn’t help but be drawn to her, yet she couldn’t find a way to ask her what her name was without sounding like a weirdo.

Now that Claire had the knowledge that she was the only human in this town, she couldn’t help but stare at the woman, wondering just what exactly she was. A witch? Some kind of succubus? Or maybe a vampire?

“Ah, Claire, I was hoping to run into you today.” The woman purred, as a smile danced at the corners of her lips.

“Well, here I am.” Claire swallowed, suddenly nervous that perhaps the woman was indeed a vampire, a thirsty one at that.

“I was looking for a book that I don’t think you have in stock. Could you order it for me and ship it here?”

“Um, sure. What book are you looking for?”

“It’s a romance novel, the title has something to do with being under the sun in Tuscany?”

“Under the Tuscan Sun?”

“Yes. That’s the one. Can I order one of those?”

“Sure, let’s see if it’s in the database.”

“Great.”

The woman’s smile was somewhat off-putting, not from any physical deformity, she was perfect, but Claire didn’t know what hid behind those teeth. Claire did her best to ignore her feelings as she typed into the computer, focusing solely on the words on the screen. She managed to find the book with little problem and set up the purchase before glancing back at the woman.

“Name?”

“Maya Richardson.”

“Phone number?”

Claire quickly tapped in the number as Maya spoke, only pausing as she looked at the computer screen for mistakes, “Here, double check to make sure this is correct.”

Watching her closely, Claire thought perhaps she might be able to figure out what Maya was without being noticed. She was wrong.

“Is there something on my face?”

“No. No. I-uh.”

“Is it my pretty eyes catching your attention.” Maya grinned, fluttering her lashes at Claire.

“Uh, no—I mean, you have pretty eyes. Definitely very intense looking eyes.” Claire fumbled, feeling a creeping heat rise in her cheeks, “What I mean is-”

“Maya, are you flirting with my worker?” Bill asked, carrying a new stack of books out.

“I think your worker is flirting with me.”

The heat only increased in Claire’s cheeks as she opened her mouth, “No. No! I mean, you’re gorgeous, but I was trying to figure out-”

“Figure out what, exactly?”

“Oh, you’re trying to figure out what kind of fae Maya is!” Bill realized, setting the books down.

“Bill—you told her?” Maya straightened, her flirtatious attitude evaporating, batting eyelashes replaced with a deathly glare.

“She asked why people seemed strange in this town.”

Maya backed away from the counter, the look of fear replaced the anger as she glanced back at Claire, “I should go.”

“Wait, your book-”

“Forget about it.”

Claire and Bill watched as Maya rushed out of the store, as Claire held her breath, Bill let out a sigh, “You should go after her.”

“What?”

“Maya is a genie. She’s worried that you’ll use her and I’m certain that you aren’t interested in capturing her for some wishes.”

Claire shifted her gaze to the door, Bill was right in assuming that she wouldn’t use Maya. Not like that. Never.

“Well, go on.” Bill motioned for the door.

Claire didn’t need Bill to tell her again as she was out the door, bolting down the street to catch up with Maya who was walking briskly.

“Maya, wait!” Claire called after her.

Claire wheezed pathetically as Maya stopped and turned, her perfect smile now a perfect scowl, “Just stay away.”

“I—I don’t want to-” Claire stopped, trying to catch her breath before leaning over, “Wait, just give me a second. Can’t. Breathe. Lungs. On. Fire.”

“You didn’t even run that far.”

“I’m very out of shape.” Claire managed, “Just. Okay. There we go—Bill told me what you are, I am not looking for any wishes.”

Maya’s eyes narrowed, “Oh? I suppose you’ll tell me you’re not like other humans.”

“I am, actually, like other humans. I’m just not shitty about using people to get what I want. There are things I want, things I miss, but I would never hurt someone to get it. And trust me, Maya, I miss what I had before.”

“Then why wouldn’t you go back?”

“I know I’ve only been here a few months, but I made a new life here and while it’s very different from what I’m used to, I like it. I like my part-time job in the quaint little bookstore. I like that there are only four restaurants to choose from when I don’t feel like cooking. I like my dumb little cottage near a cliffside. And—” Claire paused, “and I like you.”

Maya’s face softened as Claire confessed until a wide grin stretched her gorgeous lips, “You like me, huh?”

“Yeah, I like you.”

“Well, since you’re so honest and your little blush is too adorable to resist, I like you too.” Maya chuckled, “I’m sorry I ran out, humans just—there’s a history and I liked you not knowing what I am.”

“I get that, really, I do. Maybe you should get to know me though. Maybe I could take you out for coffee?”

“I’d like that. Although first I think I’ll accompany you back to the bookstore, I actually really wanted that book.”

Claire laughed, “Well, it’s my duty to satisfy a customer. Let’s go make sure you get that book.”


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Female Human and Female Genie (OC)  
> Warning: SFW (Fluff)  
> Word Count: 1659  
> Note: More flufffffffffff.  
> A big thanks to @aelia-likes-monsters for giving this a gander for edits!  
> Original Post: https://elizabethtarington.tumblr.com/post/176598328242/genie-in-a-bottle-part-2

Once the cat was out of the bag, Claire found herself immersed in the small monster town with everyone soon revealing just what kind of fae they were. It was a little concerning at first. Maybe even a bit jarring. The little group of old ladies that wandered around the town square was actually a pack of werewolves. If that wasn’t strange enough, Claire was soon learning how many monsters lived in town. Vampires. Witches. Slime creatures. A few gremlins that continued to hoard Claire’s favorite ice cream. It was bizarre but not anything Claire couldn’t handle.

Even Maya had revealed what she actually looked like on their first coffee date. Maya’s hair and her eyes stayed the same beautiful shade of blue, but her skin was a deep iridescent purple and her lips as dark as the night sky. What didn’t change was Claire’s blossoming attraction for Maya. After their first coffee date, it was safe to say that Claire was smitten and at least Maya seemed interested since she wanted to take Claire out for a meal later that week.

When the day finally came, Claire sat in her bedroom contemplating what to wear. Maya was always so well put together. Always in beautiful dresses and high heels, with perfect jewelry that complemented her outfit. Claire, on the other hand, was completely different.

Petite with a blonde pixie cut to frame her round face and brown eyes that hid behind thick-rimmed glasses, Claire was definitely different. Her usual attire of stretchy jeans with a tucked in shirt with superheroes splayed across her chest didn’t exactly scream classy. It screamed nerdy and even weird, given her propensity for wearing watermelon underwear with the text ‘Bite Me’ printed everywhere.

But it was who she was. She liked who she was. Just not when she was trying to impress a cute girl.

Claire sighed, falling onto her bed after rummaging through her closet, muttering to herself “I used to be so good at this.”

A beep sound came from her phone causing Claire to quickly pick it up as she saw a text from Maya. Her heart raced as she read the text **‘c u soon cutie <3 ;) im heading ur way to pick u up’.** It was enough to make Claire get up and try again as she dove back into her closet, managing to find a cute dress that she had forgotten about. A lacy maroon cocktail dress she had purchased before she had moved to this little town. It would work well with a black cardigan and showed enough skin but not too much that Claire was comfortable Maya would like it.

She had only managed to find a pair of black flats before Maya was at the door, knocking and waiting patiently. Ba-dump. Claire’s heart jumped in her chest as she rushed for the door finding Maya standing with a small bouquet of flowers. She couldn’t help but stare down at the delicate peach roses with a sprinkling of pink peonies and small clusters of baby’s breath. It was lovely.

“Surprise!” Maya smiled, “Can I come in?”

“Y-yeah, I mean, come in.”

“These are for you.”

The floral scent filled Claire’s senses as she took the small bouquet and eagerly ran to her kitchen to find a vase, “These are so beautiful! Thank you.”

“I saw them at the flower shop on my way here. They reminded me of you.”

“This is the first time I’ve ever received flowers. Usually, I’m the one doing these kinds of things.”

“Well, I’m happy to be your first.”

Claire laughed, giving up on finding a vase and putting them in a tall coffee mug with some water. “Beautiful.”

“And so very like you, too.” Maya grinned, tapping the mug with the words “Fuck Off Until I’ve Had My Coffee” in big letters.“If I didn’t know it, I’d say that you weren’t a morning person.”

“Hah, I guess you’ll have to find out,” Claire teased, a little too pleased that she saw a slight deepening color across Maya’s cheeks. “Should we head out? I’m actually pretty hungry.”

“Definitely. I’ve made us a reservation at Over the Moon.”

“Does Over the Moon take reservations?”

“No, but I thought it would be cute since we don’t have any fancy places in town. We would actually have to leave to go somewhere with that level of food quality.”

“Meh, I’ll take what I can get as long as it’s with you.”

Maya grinned. “You are just too cute for your own good. Stop flirting with me or we’ll never leave your cottage.”

Claire’s stomach grumbled in retaliation at the thought. “I think that perhaps we should get food first.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Dinner was adequate but the company was exceptional as Claire and Maya finished their date over dessert and wine. They split a chocolate mousse, both taking small little scoops in between their conversation.

“So, you never told me what you did in the city before you came here.”Maya smiled, folding her fingers as she gazed at Claire.

“I was an artist for comic book studio—for a few years actually, but then it didn’t make enough money so the whole studio shut down.”

“Comic books—do you do other kinds of art, or is it just comics?”

“I do commissions now that I don’t have a full-time job. I can always use the extra cash that comes my way even though Bill is paying me more than enough. He’s actually renting that little cottage to me, too.”

“Bill is a good guy. I think he’s been in this town longer than most people. Longer than me, that’s for sure,” Maya replied thoughtfully, sipping her wine.

“What about you? How did you end up here?”

“Ah, well that’s a story. Kind of dramatic and long—I’m sure you don’t want to hear it.”

Claire gazed at Maya, longing for an answer but not willing to press her. “I can wait if you’re not ready, Maya.”

“It’s just—it still brings up old hurts even though I’ve dealt with the bulk of my issues. I kind of have a chip on my shoulder for letting people in or letting my barrier down around people.”

“It’s okay. We don’t have to talk about it. We just met and trust takes time, so don’t worry about it.” Claire gave a small reassuring pat to Maya’s hand and found herself pleasantly surprised when Maya took her hand and gave it a small squeeze.

“Thank you for understanding.”

“It’s no problem. We can talk about other things, like what kind of books or movies you like?”

“Oh, action movies, hands down.”

“What, really? You?”

Maya chuckled, still holding Claire’s hand as she rubbed her thumb up and down. “What, you don’t think that I scream action movies? I adore them. I could talk about all of Bruce Willis’ action flicks all day, no problem.”

“That’s crazy. You just seem so—prim and proper.”

“Just because a girl likes fashion, doesn’t mean that she can’t enjoy some senseless violence in cinematography.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Claire laughed.

They both continued to enjoy each other’s company, talking about books, movies, and comic books until the restaurant closed for the evening. Claire silently wished it could go on forever, but knew the evening had to come to an end since she was opening up the store tomorrow morning. They both pouted in the car until Maya stopped at Claire’s cottage and walked her up to her door.

“I had a really nice time tonight.”

“I did too. Do you think you’d mind terribly if we could go on another date? Maybe?”

“I don’t know, pretty girl. You seem like you’re just not interested in me.” Maya grinned, teasing Claire as she leaned against the door, hovering closer.

“I guess I’m not doing a very good job at wooing you. Let’s see if I can remedy that.”

Claire was quick to stand up on her tiptoes and drag Maya down for a kiss, causing her eyes to go wide at first but soften and close as Claire’s fingers dipped into her long tresses. Mouth to mouth, their pace was slow and soft, with little hints of an aching hunger that seemed to build up the longer they kissed.

Breaking the kiss, Claire pulled away knowing full well that if she continued she would drag Maya to her bed. Despite longing to kiss Maya more, watching Maya’s face and hearing her breathlessness was enough for Claire as she turned to unlock her door.

“Well, goodnight Maya.”

“Yeah. I mean, yes, goodnight.”

Claire waited by the door as she watched Maya get into her car and drive away. She couldn’t help but smile, waving her arm emphatically until Maya was out of sight. As she closed the door behind her, she couldn’t help but do a small dance, giggling to herself before falling onto the couch.

She grinned, touching her mouth, their kiss still lingering as a warm heated sensation of bliss. Claire swallowed that fluttering feeling rising in her throat as the realization that she forgot to mention how good Maya looked. With a sharp gasp, she scrambled for her phone and quickly texted her.

**I forgot to mention you looked beautiful tonight, I was a little too enamored to say anything. Sorry. <3**

She didn’t get a message back right away but was relieved when her phone beeped with Maya’s reply.

**< 3 u didn’t need to use ur words, ur eyes did all the talking, shameless flirt**

Claire chuckled, grinning like a lovesick fool as she pressed her phone to her chest in an attempt to still her racing heart. It was unlike her to start feeling those little butterflies of new love. Even more so when she could not stop smiling as she got ready for bed. She longed to see Maya again as soon as possible.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Female Human and Female Genie  
> Warning: SFW (Fear, poltergeist bullying, fluff. lesbian relationship, talking about past emotional baggage and trauma)  
> Word Count: 2418  
> Note: Phew, all done Part 3 and done in Maya’s POV. A big thanks to @aelia-likes-monsters for giving this a gander for edits!  
> Original Post: https://elizabethtarington.tumblr.com/post/177453507107/genie-in-a-bottle-part-3

The idea of taking it slow and careful with Claire didn’t really suit Maya whenever she thought about their first dinner date. Already a couple of weeks had passed and she had been seeing Claire almost daily, sometimes nightly. Mostly it was just cuddling with the occasional smooch. They were the most amazing kisses Maya ever had, but she couldn’t help but hold back despite her little nerdy spitfire being so patient and kind.

It’s exactly why Maya was drawn to Claire in the first place. A tiny, almost gangly looking woman with an adorable little blonde pixie cut that made her look exactly like Tinkerbell. Those brown doe eyes carefully observing her surroundings and that little soft-spoken voice, Maya was hooked even though Claire was a human.

She, like the others in the town, was a little more than just fearful of humans, only hearing about Claire’s arrival second-hand. Ridiculed and suffering at their hands for so long, how could fae not be worried about Claire’s arrival? Maya had actually been one of the ones who wanted her thrown out of the town despite not meeting Claire first. It was something that Maya had not mentioned to Claire yet, and wasn’t sure if she ever would.

Bill insisted that Claire was a good person, offering to keep an eye on her by having her work in his bookstore and renting out the cottage that was on the outskirts of town. Maya wasn’t entirely convinced and decided to visit the bookstore any time that she was able to. She had a plan to check her out, make Claire as miserable as possible so she would show her true colors and then the town would force her out.

She had not expected to meet a cute and sweet woman who was adorably attractive. Maya also didn’t expect to be texting Claire at all hours of the day and chatting with her during the late nights when they weren’t together. She just couldn’t resist her little woman. Even now as she sat at her desk finishing her last-minute paperwork, she was daydreaming about sitting with Claire, running her fingers through that short haircut, tugging her head back so she could kiss that slender neck.

“Hey Maya, you almost finished with that report?” An oozing and gelatinous man poked his head out from around the corner.

“Yeah, Lloyd. Just needed to go through it once more,” Maya spoke in a sing-song voice as she snapped out of it.

“Good. Once you’re finished, just leave it on my desk and then head home. It’s been a long day.”

“Sounds good.”

Lloyd paused, “By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask how things have been going with Claire. If I remember correctly you and the Langley twins were the most vocal during the meeting about her.”

 “Things are going really good. She’s a really good person—dorky, but she’s just a little cutie patootie.”

“That’s great to hear. Hopefully, the Langley twins come around, I was hoping they’d talk with her. I understand their caution but Claire is harmless.”

“While I would love to believe that they would come around from just having a conversation with her, I think their issues are more deep-seeded than mine.”

“Yeah. I imagine being perma-dead has something to do with that. Plus, they basically get uprooted every time they possess someone. Can’t imagine that’s easy being kicked out of your home.”

Maya nodded to herself as Lloyd wandered away, leaving her to finish her work. She would finish up and head straight to the bookstore, knowing poor Claire had been left in charge while Bill went to a business conference in the city. While the shop was never busy, Maya wanted to help out her little muffin in whatever way she could.

With some take-out from Over the Moon, Maya drove to the bookstore and frowned as she noticed the lights were flickering in the store. As she parked the car, Maya wondered if Bill had come back despite mentioning he would not be returning for another couple of days. A ghastly shriek was Maya’s cue that it was the exact opposite and she rushed for the door as fast as her heels would let her.

Books flew through the air as a chilling gust of wind blew the lights back and forth. As soon as she heard the laughter, Maya’s heart sunk knowing that it was the Langley twins.  _But where was Claire?_ Maya desperately thought as she looked around the room.

“Claire!” Maya yelled, but only managed to get the attention of the twins.

“Maya. So glad you could join us.” The twins phased into existence and they spoke in unison.

The two twin girls stood looking as angelic as ever, blonde haired and blue eyes, their faces chubby with innocence in their matching plaid dresses, “Have you come to help us get rid of this creature?”

“No. Where is Claire?”

“You don’t want to help? Why? You didn’t want her here either, she’s a human after all. Cruel and unkind creatures, she’s no different. You said so yourself.”

“That was before I got to know her. She’s not like other humans at all.” Maya growled, setting the bag of take-out down at the register, “Now, tell me where Claire is and also—clean this place up. Bill isn’t going to be happy that you trashed his store.”

“She’s cowering behind there.” They both pointed to the cash register.

Maya’s eyes slowly drifted toward the desk as she felt a cold wave of shame wash over her. Claire had just heard everything. Or perhaps she didn’t. Holding her breath, she moved to the desk, peering over the counter to see Claire pressed up against the side and covering her head.

“Claire! Did they hurt you? Are you alright?”

“Please, just stay away,” Claire whispered in a hushed voice.

“It’s okay, sweetie I’m-”

“You too. Please. Just leave.”

With tears in her eyes, Claire looked up at Maya, her face ruddy and her hair disheveled. Maya wanted to reach out and comfort her, but the hurt in Claire’s eyes told her that she had in fact heard what the twins said.

“See, she’s like-”

“Shut. Up.” From between clenched teeth, Maya turned her gaze at the twins, hearing an audible gasp from both of them. “You’re both going to leave. Right. The fuck. Now.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Maya watched the twins disappear, returning the bookstore to normal despite all the books falling to the floor. Maya could hear small little sniffles still coming from behind the desk. She wanted to stay, to explain herself, but she of all people understood that listening was hard to do when upset.

“There’s some food on the desk for you. I’ll call Bill and tell him what happened, so don’t worry about anything—just take care of yourself.” Maya walked to the door pausing as she felt her own tears prick at her eyes, “I’ll leave you alone.”

Maya had barely managed to make it home before she finally let her emotions flow. The dam that had held back her tears had immediately cracked as she closed the door behind her, her body sinking to the floor. She felt disgusting and horrible. She knew not all humans were the same, yet she opened her big mouth during that town meeting, spouting bigotry and hatred for someone she hadn’t met. Claire wasn’t even there to defend herself, but that didn’t matter. She shouldn’t have had to.

Her girlfriend. Her little Claire-Bear. She hurt her. The very thought clutched at Maya’s heart and squeezed it into a painful vice as she cried bitter tears. For the first time in her life, she felt like an actual monster and decided to crawl into bed and hide under the covers to cry out her emotions. Occasionally she would check her phone, just in case Claire messaged her, but there was nothing. She didn’t blame her.

Feeling both physically and emotionally exhausted, Maya fell asleep curled around her pillows. It wasn’t until she heard several beeps from her phone and couple of knocks at her door that she woke up. She crawled from her bed and made it to the door, her eyes still blurry and sore as she opened it.

“Hey,” Claire said softly, “I’m sorry, you weren’t answering your phone and I wanted to talk about what happened.”

“Claire—you want to talk?”

“You don’t?” With brows knitting together with worry, Claire squeaked, suddenly looking away.

“No. No! I want to talk. I’m just surprised—please, come in.”

Maya stepped back and Claire walked through the door and as much as she was elated at her girlfriend’s presence, she also was ready to grovel and beg for forgiveness. Only once she closed the door did she notice a bag in Claire’s hand.

“What’s that?”

“It’s food. I kind of ate everything that you left, so I went to pick up more for you. Sorry.” Claire held it out, waiting patiently for Maya to take it.

The all too familiar pricking sensation started in her eyes and a lump rose in her throat, “Why are you the one apologizing and bringing me food? Aren’t I supposed to be the one to do that? I’m the asshole—the monster, who hurt you.”

“You did—you did hurt my feelings, but I know you have a reason to feel that way. I haven’t pushed you to tell me what your story is and I’ve always been content with the here and now of our relationship, but I’m assuming it has to do with your past for you to—think that humans are cruel and unkind. I know you don’t think that about me, but it hurt that you, at one point, even thought that way.”

Taking Claire’s offering, Maya did her best to buck up as she wandered to the couch with Claire following behind her. They both sat, close enough that Maya could tell that it wasn’t over between them, but far enough away that she knew things weren’t back to normal just yet. She let out a small sigh as she rummaged through the bag and took out some fries as she contemplated where to start.

“I don’t know how to say it or where to start.” Maya frowned down at the fry before taking a small bite, “How do I even begin to tell you any of my past?”

“You could tell me the beginning.”

“The beginning took place over a thousand years ago.”

“You’re over a thousand years old?” Claire’s eyes widened, causing Maya to cradle her head in her hands, “Well, I must say for an old lady, you sure do look good.”

“Babe!” Maya pouted.

“Sorry. Please continue.”

“A thousand years ago I was like any creature that walked this dimension. I was carefree and powerful. I didn’t answer to anyone. I was attending all the local parties, drinking all the wine I wanted, and schmoozing with all the royals. It was amazing.” Maya paused before grabbing four fries at once, stuffing them in her mouth and chewing before continuing, “But then some dolt human had managed to enslave me and put me in a damn lamp for all eternity. I became a wish-granting machine, usually tricking anyone who dared to ask for wishes—I was quite picky about details. However, it was still more than a thousand years of being enslaved. Sometimes I’d come across what I had considered a pure soul and I would beg for my freedom. But no one ever granted it. Not a single person.”

“How did you get out?”

“Bill found me, actually. He thought my lamp was an antique, which it technically was and he didn’t even bother asking for any wishes. He just gave me my freedom—a wizard gave me my freedom, but no human did.”

“I imagine you probably saw the worst of humanity when they asked for wishes. People can still be for themselves while forgetting about the others around them or the consequences they bring upon those people.”

“I know, but that knowledge didn’t make the pain of my experience go away.”

“No. I don’t imagine it did,” Claire nodded, “What changed your mind?”

Maya stared up at Claire, those lovely brown eyes still reflecting the kindness and strength of Claire that was within, “You did—What the twins said was true. Before I met you I said horrible things about you, lumping you in with an entire species. I had this stupid nefarious scheme to make your life an absolute hell and drive you away because I thought no good would come from a human living in our town. But then I met you. That first day in the bookstore I was in awe of you. This petite nerd who was so quiet and kind, even when I was putting you through the ringer that first day.”

“You kept asking for the same book and you were never satisfied with the condition of the cover—yeah, I remember.”

“Hah. Sorry about that. I was trying to drive you away,” Maya chuckled, “But you were sweet and you just kept smiling that little adorable smile. And then you found out what this town is—what I was. I thought I romanticized you and you would do what every other human had done.”

“I would never do that to you, ever.”

“Well, I know that now. You brought my ass food so we could talk this out when I should have been apologizing to you, Claire-Bear. I’m really sorry.”

“It’s okay. I know you don’t feel that way now. Well, I mean, I was a little traumatized by the twins and the stress, plus what you had said—it was just a little too much. But I calmed down, ate everything from Over the Moon and figured out my feelings. So, it’s all okay.”

“You’re way too mature for someone so young, you know that right?”

“What can I say, it’s a curse I was destined to live with.” Claire grinned cheekily as she stole a fry from the bag.

“You’re too cute as well. It all makes sense why I’m falling in love with you.”

“You love me?”

“I was talking to the french fries,” Maya scrambled to recover from her big mouth.

Claire laughed, unconvinced as she pounced upon Maya, giving her a hug and planting a kiss on her forehead, “I love you too, Maya.”


End file.
